Prior to the conception and subsequent development of the present invention, as is generally well known in the prior art, there are a variety of skin creams and lotions today which are used to soften skin, repair lesions, combat dryness and redness and reduce swelling and roughness in irritated skin. There are also a variety of creams or ointments that are used to reduce the itch from poison ivy and insect bites.
Virtually everyone has endured the discomfort of dry, chapped hands at one time or another or experienced rough, sore hands with cracks at every joint on the fingers. Not only hands but other external portions of the body are susceptible to dryness, irritation and lesions. Despite all of the products on the market, there is still a need for a topical product which will not only soften and moisturize dry and chapped hands but also provide healing for skin cracks and lesions.
In the area of topical creams and ointments there is a further need for a product which can be effective in the treatment of and prevention of cold sores caused by enveloped viruses such as the herpes simplex virus. Additionally, it would be useful to have a product that could be effective in treating shingles caused by herpes zoster and it's cousin chicken pox caused by herpes varicella. All three of these virus caused manifestations present unique problems in their treatment.
Another particular and agonizing problem is that of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is an ailment caused by having had herpes zoster. Up to 50% of elderly patients that have had shingles may develop PHN. As our life span increases and the number of elderly increase, correspondingly, the number of elderly who contract shingles increases also. An effective treatment for this disorder is thus becoming more and more important.
An important fact that must be understood with relation to PHN is that PHN is not a continuation of herpes zoster (shingles). It is a separate condition that is caused by having had shingles. There is evidence to suggest that PHN is not viral in nature, however, nothing conclusive has been established in this regard. PHN may be defined as pain that continues at the site of shingles beyond a period of 1-3 months. Incidence of PHN in young patients is rare, even up to 40 years of age.
However, in a study by the Pain Research Institute at the Walton Hospital, Liverpool, England, it was found that half of the patients who contracted shingles at age 60 developed PHN and the percentage increased to 75% for those diagnosed as having shingles at age 70 or older. As the average life span continues to increase and the number of elderly increases, the incidence is increasing at a very rapid rate.
Thus, there are many in the world that are eagerly waiting for a medication which could be used in the treatment of a variety of skin ailments, as well as for viral skin infections and the very painful and relatively untreatable post-herpetic neuralgia.
Use of a purified extract from the leaves of the plant Eriobotrya japonica for the inhibition of the cytopathogenic effects of herpes simplex virus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,827. The method of preparation and purification of the extract is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,722 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,827. The method of preparation and purification of the extract and the use of the purified extract for the inhibition of viruses described in these patents is incorporated herein by reference thereto.